Dyche Delighted At City Display

Sean Dyche was delighted as his team picked themselves up from the defeat at West Brom to take Manchester City to the wire.

Dean Marney’s 14th minute thunderbolt gave the Clarets hope of repeating their 2015 victory over the Blues, only for a Sergio Aguero brace to give Pep Guardiola’s title-chasers the points.

But Dyche took plenty of positives as his players consigned their 4-0 defeat at The Hawthorns to history with another passionate display.

The gaffer said: “I was really pleased with the performance, other than the result, and that was a great marker today, after what happened last Monday.

“We know we have to take that on the road, but today I was delighted and equally so with the crowd’s reaction.

“They know it’s not easy playing this type of club, but they stuck with the lads throughout with no disappointments. They were right behind us and that’s an important factor going forwards.

“I thought we were a real threat at set-pieces all day. We deliberately set out to make it uncomfortable for them and put them under pressure and pressed them and they didn’t find too many glossy passages of play.

“We’ve just got that horrible feeling in our stomachs because we’ve got nothing from it. Sometimes this game doesn’t reward you, because I thought we were good value for a point today.

“The head-scratcher is two soft goals, but for the second one we are putting bodies on the line and getting the blocks in. Two lads get in the way of each other, which can happen, but even then it goes in off his (Aguero’s) knee. Unfortunately, that happens.”

Ahead of Marney’s strike – his first since March 2014 – the Clarets were denied a penalty when Jeff Hendrick appeared to be barged in the back from Nicolas Otamendi.

Dyche added: “I’m amazed at that one-off decision. Andre (Marriner) is a good referee, but he has got that one wrong.

“We don’t seem to get many key decisions in the box, but it’s a definite foul on Jeff. I’ve seen it back and that’s a real frustration because we don’t get those decisions.

“I ask my lads to be honest and I don’t know what you have to do to get a penalty if that’s not one.

I find it hard to fathom my way through the Premier League often with decisions. I see some people dropping to the floor constantly and getting fouls.

“If we do it and it’s a legitimate foul, we don’t seem to get them. I don’t know where it lives.”

The Clarets also had to deal with injury setbacks ahead of, and during the game. Tom Heaton missed his first game for the club following a calf injury sustained in the week - leading to a stunning display by debutant Paul Robinson - while Marney and Johann berg Gudmundsson both suffered hamstring injuries.

Dyche explained: “Tom got a calf injury and couldn’t make it today, but Robbo, as I expected, was excellent.

“He’s been fantastic in training and he’s as lean and fit as he’s probably ever been and I think goalkeepers mature later in their careers.

“He’s been fantastic in the group, ably assisted by Nick Pope, who is a fine keeper in his own right.

“I do really like or clutch of keepers and there’s a great respect among them all. Nick is getting used to what we are doing and we’re pleased with him as well.

“But Robbo was first class today and the save in the first half from Aguero is a top, top save.”